This up-to-date guide provides informational professionals and their clients with much-needed assistance in navigating the immense field of government information.
When information professionals are asked questions involving government information, they often experience that "deer in the headlights" feeling. Mastering United States Government Information helps them overcome any trepidation about finding and using government documents.
Written by Christopher C. Brown, coordinator of government documents at the University of Denver, this approachable book provides an introduction to all major areas of U.S. government information. It references resources in all formats, including print and online. Examples are provided so users will feel comfortable solving government information questions on their own, while exercises at the end of chapters enable users to practice answering questions for themselves. Additionally, several appendixes serve as quick reference sources for such topics as congressional sessions, the most popular government publications, federal statistical databases, and citation of government publications. It serves as a practical and current guide for practitioners as well as a text or supplementary reading for students of library information studies and for in-service trainings.

Christopher C. Brown, professor, is reference librarian and coordinator of government documents at the University of Denver, Main Library.

Foreword by Gwen Sinclair
Introduction
Chapter 1
The Shape of United States Government Information
Early Founders and Access to Government Information
Challenges to Free Access
Government Documents or Government Information?
What Do Users Want?
The Formats of Government Information
Document Topics
Document Types
Organization of Government/Organization of Publications
Superintendent of Documents Classification System
Government Publications, Print Collections, and Online Access
Competencies of Government Information Professionals
Using Google to Find Government Information
Testing Government Database Exposure in Google
Records in Library Catalogs
Domain Searching
File Type Searching
Direct versus Indirect Google Searching
HathiTrust, Internet Archive, and Government Publications
Exercises
References
Chapter 2
Federal Information Dissemination
First Era: Early Printing and the U.S. Congressional Serial Set
Background of the Serial Set
American State Papers
Contents of the Serial Set
Numbering of the Serial Set
Intellectual Access to the Serial Set
Series within Series
Tangible Serial Set Collections
Hints on Free Online Access to the Serial Set
Numerical Lists and Other Print Finding Aids to the Serial Set
Commercial Online Versions of the Serial Set
Second Era: The Federal Depository Library Program
Selective and Regional Depository Libraries
Outdated Mandate
Leaving the Program
Third Era: Online Dissemination
PURLs-Persistent Uniform Resource Locators
Authentication
Preservation
Dissemination
Fugitive Documents
Summing Up the Three Eras
General Tools and Finding Aids
Catalog of Government Publications (CGP)
WorldCat Bibliographic Database
Govinfo.gov
Finding Older Publications
Online Tools: Free and Subscription
GovDoc-L
References
Chapter 3
Legislative Branch Information Sources
Listen to the Parliamentarians
Our American Government
Bills and Resolutions
Different Types of Bills and Resolutions
Getting the Full Text of Bills and Resolutions
Bill Tracking Services
House and Senate Journals
Proceedings and Debates of Congress
Early Debates
What Is in the Congressional Record?
The Congressional Record: Daily Edition versus Permanent Edition
Résumé of Congressional Activity
Searching the Congressional Record
Congressional Record Index
Reports and Documents
Reports
Documents
Hearings
Locating Hearings Generally
Locating Hearings Connected to Legislation
Committee Prints
Public Laws
Private Laws
United States Code
U.S. Code Appendices
Commercial Versions of the U.S. Code
Confusing Nomenclature
Additional Congressional Publications
House and Senate Journals
Legislative Calendars
Congressional Directories
Congressional Commission Publications (Y 3)
Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports
Government Accountability Office Reports
Congressional Budget Office Materials
Committee and Subcommittee Memberships
Congress.gov
Commercial Guides to Congress
Exercises
References
Chapter 4
Legislative History Research
Researching the Document Trail
Sources of Legislative Histories
Endnotes to Public Laws
Congress.gov
History of Bills in Govinfo.gov
ProQuest Legislative Insight
Compiled Legislative Histories
Bills and Resolutions in the Legislative Process
Congressional Debate in the Legislative Process
Congressional Reports and Legislative Intent
Presidential Signing Statements
Outcome Studies and Legislative Histories
Review of Legislative History Research
Legislative History Case Studies
Legislative History Case Study 1: Rapid DNA Act of 2017
Legislative History Case Study 2: Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act
Legislative History Case Study 3: Emergency Daylight-Saving Time Energy Conservation Act of 1973
Exercises
References
Chapter 5
Documents of the Presidency
Presidential Issuances
Executive Orders
Presidential Proclamations
Other Presidential Issuances
Sources of Presidential Documents
[Weekly] Compilation of Presidential Documents
Public Papers of the Presidents
Social Media and the Presidency
Treaties and Other International Agreements
Treaty Complexities
Treaty Text Sources
Presidential Libraries
Exercises
References
Chapter 6
Executive Branch Information Sources
ProQuest Executive Branch Documents
Annual Reports of Executive Agencies
Executive Office of the President
Budget of the United States Government
Budget Calendar
OMB versus CBO
Sources of Budget Documents
Navigating the Budget Documents
Economic Report of the President
Executive Branch Information Resources
Department of Agriculture
Yearbook of Agriculture
ARS and ERS
Agricola versus PubAg
Department of Commerce
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
International Trade Administration
National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
United States Census Bureau
Statistical Abstract of the United States
Department of Defense
Center of Military History
Military Records and Research
Department of Education (SuDocs Stem ED)
Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)
College Navigator
Department of Energy
Energy Videos
Science.gov
Department of Health and Human Services
National Library of Medicine
Medicare Coverage Database
Grants.gov
Department of Homeland Security
FEMA Data Visualizations
National Incident Management System
Homeland Security Digital Library
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of the Interior
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Department of State
Archived Content
Official Register of the United States
Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS)
State Department Noteworthy Publications
Department of Transportation (SuDocs Stem TD)
Department of the Treasury (SuDocs Stem T)
Department of Veterans Affairs (SuDocs Stem VA)
Securities and Exchange Commission
Environmental Protection Agency
National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP)
Brownfields
Superfund
Federal Election Commission
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Central Intelligence Agency
World Factbook
The Foreign Broadcast Information Service Daily Reports
Joint Publications Research Service Reports
Exercises
References
Chapter 7
The Regulatory Process
The Regulatory Process
The Unified Agenda
Federal Register
Overview of Online Interfaces
Regulatory Histories
Code of Federal Regulations
Arrangement and Publication
Title 3: The President
Parallel Table of Authorities and Rules (PTOA)
Online Access
Correlating FR and CRF
List of CFR Sections Affected
e-CFR
Other Administrative Law Resources
Administrative Law Resources
Exercises
References
Chapter 8
Judicial Branch Information Sources
Commercialization of Legal Resources
The Judiciary
Searching for Cases
Published Opinions
Supreme Court Opinions
Slip Opinions
United States Reports
The Oyez Project
C-SPAN Videos
Westlaw and Lexis
PACER
Secondary Sources before Primary Sources
Where to Get Cases
Commercial Online Services
Exercises
References
Chapter 9
Statistical Sources (Not Including Census)
Basic Statistical Starting Strategies
Strategy 1: Use Google Web for Direct and Indirect Search Strategies
Strategy 2: ProQuest Statistical Insight
Strategy 3: ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States
Strategy 4: Going beyond U.S. National Sources
Strategy 5: Do a Literature Search
Putting the Tools to Work
Diving Into Statistical Databases
Historical Statistical Research
Executive Branch Statistical Agencies
Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Education
Department of Energy
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Department of the Interior
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Department of State
Department of Transportation
Department of the Treasury
Department of Veterans Affairs
Social Security Administration (SSA)
Other Agencies That Maintain Statistical Programs
Legislative Branch Statistical Sites
Judicial Branch Statistical Sites
U.S. Courts Website
TRACFED
Federal Committee on Statistical Methodology
Print Tools, Statistical and Census
Exercises
References
Chapter 10
Census Basics and Background
The Census and Reapportionment
History of the Decennial Census
Statistics versus Records
Sampling
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Census Geographies
2010 Census National Geographic Tallies
Adjusted Geographic Boundaries
State Data Centers
Data Visualizations
Special Census Reports
Exercises
References
Chapter 11
Census Data for People and Housing
Understanding Data Structures
Programs
Data Sets
Tables
Data
Decennial Census versus American Community Survey
Race and Ethnicity
Self-Identification
Hispanic Origin
Public Use Metadata Samples (PUMS)
PUMAs, the PUMS Geography
iPUMS Data from the Minnesota Population Center
Retired Census Data Tools
Earlier Data Tools
American FactFinder-Going Away
Disappearing Censuses
Print Census Resources
Data.census.gov
Single Search Bar
Advanced Search
Table Types
Dealing with Geographies
Context-Sensitive Table Elimination
Third-Party Statistical Tools
Social Explorer
PolicyMap
SimplyAnalytics
Exercises
References
Chapter 12
Economic Census and Related Business Data
Economic Census Geographies
SIC: Standard Industrial Classification System
NAICS: The Classification System
NAICS Sectors
The SIC Zombie
Economic Census Data Online
Business Patterns
Older Economic Census Publications Online
Census Business Builder
Exercises
References
Chapter 13
Mapping and Geographic Information Systems
Selected Map-Publishing Agencies
Types of Maps
Topographic Maps from USGS
Degrees: Minutes: Seconds versus Decimal
Census TIGER/Line Files
National Geodetic Survey
Nautical Maps from NOAA
Perry Casteñeda Map Collection
CIA Maps
Maps from NTIS
GeoPlatform.gov
Maps within FRASER
Serial Set Maps
Commercial Mapping Tools
USGS Mapping Tools
Shapefiles and Georeferencing
Where Can I Find These Maps?
Resources
Exercises
References
Chapter 14
Federal STEM Information
Technical Reports
National Technical Information Service (NTIS) and Its National Technical Reports Library (NTRL)
OSTI.gov
EPA Documents and the NEPIS Database
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC)
Technical Report Archive and Image Library (TRAIL)
Medical Information
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
National Library of Medicine
PubMed, Medline, and PubMed Central
Standards
Standards.gov
Military Standards
Data
Print Tools for NTIS Technical Reports
Exercises
References
Chapter 15
Intellectual Property, Secrets, and Declassified Information
Intellectual Property
Patents
Trademarks
Copyright
Secret, Declassified, and Unpublished Government Information
Secret Documents and Declassification
Declassified Document Sources
Unpublished Hearings
The Freedom of Information Act and the Privacy Act
Freedom of Information Act Background
Making FOIA Requests
FOIA Uses
Privacy Act
System of Records Notice (SORNs)
Exercises
References
Chapter 16
State and Local Government Information
State Government Websites
URL Patterns below State Level
Legislation
Regulations
Local Ordinances
State Government Information and Copyright
State Depository Programs
Older State Materials
Exercises
References
Chapter 17
Citing Government Publications
Citing Executive Branch Materials
Executive Orders, Presidential Proclamations, and Other Issuances
Treaties
Executive Agency Publications
General Publications
Annual Reports
Foreign Relations of the United States
Topographic Map
Regulations
Technical Reports
Citing Legislative Branch Materials
Congressional Record
Congressional Hearing
Congressional Report
Congressional Document
Public Law
Citing Judicial Branch Materials
Supreme Court Case
Appellate Court Case
Appendix A. Superintendent of Documents Classification System
Appendix B: Congress/Year Table
Appendix C: Foreign Government Internet Domains
Appendix D: Acronyms
Appendix E: Correspondences between U.S. Code and Code of Federal Regulations
Appendix F: Selected Major Federal Databases
Index